Is Blue Monday really the saddest day of the year?

Blue cartoon character laying face-first on ground. You know this face. Sadness was a character in the 2015 animation Inside Out. She’s blue because that’s the colour people connect with being sad. The third Monday in January is called Blue Monday because it is supposed to be the saddest day of the year. But it turns out there’s no science behind it at all.
In 2005, a British psychologist came up with the concept of “Blue Monday” for a travel agency wanting to sell winter vacations. IMAGE: Sunbathers on a beach
Psychologist Cliff Arnall’s proof for the gloomiest day of the year was founded on a formula he devised based on winter weather, debt, failed New Year’s resolutions and other factors. IMAGE: fireworks
The truth is, Blue Monday is more myth than science. Experts refute the “research” behind the most depressing day of the year. IMAGE: a snowy landscape
A 2017 publication by the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health says “there is no scientific basis for why the third Monday in January has been deemed Blue Monday.
Depression is more than a one-day affair, as Lady Gaga said in a 2015 interview with Billboard: “I’ve suffered through depression and anxiety my entire life. I still suffer with it every single day.” Still, some experts say embracing Blue Monday can help shine a spotlight on mental health awareness. IMAGE: Lady Gaga
Here are some tips to beat the blues, from the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health: Practise self-care, Take care of your diet, Exercise, Relaxation, meditation and yoga IMAGE: A snowboarder flying through the sky